Annual meeting focuses on reimagining dairy

March 22, 2016

This week, more than 1,500 members and guests gathered in Kansas City for the Cooperative’s 18th Annual Meeting.

This year’s meeting theme – Dairy Reimagined – looks at how, from the farm to the dairy case, the possibilities are limitless for the industry. Guests were encouraged to join the Cooperative in challenging the status quo.

“By reimagining dairy, we can create opportunities for the next generation of our dairy farmer-owners, and for consumers,” said Randy Mooney, chairman of DFA’s Board of Directors. “As a Cooperative, we must continue to focus on providing high-quality, nutritious milk for consumers, while also thinking differently about how we do things in order to develop, produce and market products that are relevant to today’s ever-changing lifestyles.”

The meeting kicked off with the chairman’s report, delivered by Mooney, who operates a dairy farm in Rogersville, Mo. Mooney, who also serves as chairman of National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), talked about how the Cooperative can rethink the possibilities for dairy in various ways that will benefit DFA’s farmer-owners.

An overview of DFA’s business was delivered by President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Smith. His presentation highlighted DFA’s financials for 2015 and provided insight on how DFA will continue to strengthen the Cooperative’s core milk marketing business while also growing its commercial business, in an effort to better serve and provide value to members.

“As a member-focused cooperative owned by dairy farmers, we are always working to strengthen and evolve our business so that we can continue to provide value to members,” said Smith. “We do this by seeking out new opportunities, focusing on innovation, and making decisions today for the cooperative we want to be in the future.”

Special guests and additional highlights of the meeting program included:

An outlook on the U.S. and global economy from Bob Engel, chief executive officer of CoBank

The Cooperative’s Annual Banquet brought a host of recognitions, including the 2016 Members of Distinction. Every year, family members at one farm from each of DFA’s seven regional Areas are recognized for service to their dairy, their families, communities and the industry.

In addition, outgoing Board Directors Ralph McNall, of Fairfax, Vt., and Joyce Bupp, of Seven Valleys, Pa., were recognized for their contributions to DFA.